Numerical analysis of natural convection in insulating porous material.

The Paper deals with numerical computations, carried out, in order to predict the effects of natural convection on the thermal performance of porous material. In this paper the effect of natural convection in a horizontal porous layer will be discussed. The study of the above configuration is essential to understand the functioning of insulation of the type used in attics. The influence of natural convection on the thermal properties of mineral wool, loose-fill insulation, insulation made of small and large polystyrene balls are studied. The results are presented in terms of dimensionless numbers and the temperature distribution across the insulation.